


On and Off Camera

by Grumpy_Bubble_Tea



Category: ARMS (Video Game)
Genre: Arms, Multi Chapter, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-01 03:46:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11477958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grumpy_Bubble_Tea/pseuds/Grumpy_Bubble_Tea
Summary: A Slice of Life with the ARMS cast!





	1. The Absolute Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> The story starts when the first "new" character for ARMS was announced! Min Min! For the first few months of the year, ARMS mainly showed Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Mechanica, Ninjara, and Master Mummy. The story begins when Min Min joins, and as it progresses, more people will be introduced.
> 
> Also, I had a bit of a writer's block while doing this, not to mention It's my first slice of life ever. It's not super good, but it's the best I could write. I hope you all like it <3

The ARMS facility was, well, the official building of ARMS fighters! No, they didn't live there, but that was where ARMS fighters spent a good part of their day. It had rooms for training, a food court, lounging areas, locker rooms, and the Get ARMS room. Many fighters practiced here for upcoming fights that would be televised, and for the ARMS Grand Prix! 

The ARMS league was a large and popular league, known by pretty much everyone on the planet. You only hear about a few of the fighters, though. The absolute best of the best. For now, the main group of ARMS fighters consisted of 5 people. Spring Man, The Bouncer! Ribbon Girl, The Airess! Ninjara, The Student of Stealth! Master Mummy, The Grim Creeper! And, last, but not least, Mechanica, The Scrapyard Scrapper! These five had become the faces of the ARMS league for the last few months, fighting on live television, appearing in interviews and variety shows, they were everywhere! However, it was time for the spotlight to be shared. This is where our story begins. 

* * *

 

 

"Now, don't be nervous. I'm sure joining the league and meeting the other fighters can seem nerve-wracking and scary at first, but they're all really good people. Some just take a little more time to warm up to than others." 

The short, yellow man looked up to the new contender and smiled. Biff was just as friendly off-camera as he was on-camera. He guided the new fighter down the long corridors of the ARMS facility. The floors were made of white tiles, and the walls were various shades of blue. Maybe it was because it was her first time going down these hallways, but they felt _huge_. Like if she turned away from Biff for just _half_ a second, she'd get lost and have no way of being found. She was sure once she had the chance to go around the building once or twice it wouldn't feel as daunting, but it made her nervous now. Not to mention, she was joining an international fighting league that was televised for the entire world to see. And, she was about to meet some of the famous fighters who were the faces of the league at this point in time. She had every reason to be nervous. 

"Alright! These are the doors to the food court! Most of the fighters eat around this time, so they should be in there. I can introduce you." 

She nodded in understanding, but she was dying on the inside. All she had to do was make a good first impression. She certainly looked ready to meet them. She had on her normal ensemble for fighting: her sneakers, shorts, leggings, shirt, and a padded chest plate that matched the red and green color scheme of her outfit. Her blonde, noodle-like hair was neat, and her bangs were straight. She even wore her beanie that undeniably resembled a ramen bowl. She looked perfectly fine. So, why didn't she _feel_ perfect? 

She didn't have time to contemplate that. Biff pushed open the white double doors that led into the food court. Sure enough, the fighters she recognized from television filled the room. 

There were various tables set up through out the room, like the large benches you'd find in school cafeterias. The tables and seats were white, and the walls and ceiling were blue. Lights hung from the ceiling, and the fighters sat scattered across the room. The room was meant for at least 450 people to eat in at once. They certainly had the space to be recruiting new fighters. There were many fighters in the room, eating away, but only a few that were recognizable. Spring Man, Mechanica, and Ribbon Girl all sat at a table together. They were chatting away while eating, even trading and sharing different snacks like chips and candy bars, as if they were in grade school. Master Mummy wasn't anywhere to be seen in the room. Ninjara, the 5th and final contender recognized, sat at the table furthest from the doorway. He was sitting alone, and reading a book while eating his lunch. He seemed to be the only person who noticed the two come in. He didn't seem too interested in conversing with them, though. 

Biff cleared his throat, and guided the new fighter over to the table where Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, and Mechanica sat. The three fighters sitting together smiled, while Ninjara continued looking as though there were a million other places he'd rather be than here. 

"We've got a new contender here! ** _Min Min, The Ramen Bomber!"_**

Min Min waved to the group, giving a small smile. Everyone waved back and beamed to make her feel welcome. 

"Go ahead and make yourself at home! Feel free to talk to the others, and grab yourself something to eat too!" Biff waved goodbye and left the room, still wearing that same welcoming smile he had greeted Min Min with earlier. Spring Man hopped out of his seat and greeted Min Min with a smile that could light up the world. 

 They shook hands, and Spring Man bombarded her with positivity. 

 "Welcome to the ARMS League, It's great to meet you! Do you wanna come eat with us?" 

Min Min glanced over his shoulder at Ribbon Girl and Mechanica, who were smiling at her as though they knew exactly what Spring Man was going to ask her. Min Min was never a very social person. She wasn't shy, but she wouldn't go out of her way to start a conversation or ask someone to eat with her unless she felt like she absolutely needed to. Maybe that was just how they felt now. They just wanted to make her feel welcome, and she deeply appreciated that.

"Sure." Min Min nodded. He sat on one side with Ribbon Girl, while Min Min sat next to Mechanica. Almost all of them were wearing their fighting gear, except Mechanica. Perhaps they'd just finished training or planned on doing some more after eating. Regardless, the three were full of smiles, looking like they wanted to play a game of 20 questions with Min Min. While she appreciated their newfound interest in her, Min Min didn't like being rushed with all these looks and stares. They weren't trying to make her uncomfortable, but it was clear they were just dying to get to know her.

First, Ribbon Girl spoke up.

"So, you're Min Min, right? Tell us about yourself!" She sat with her head on her hands, and her elbows leaning against the table, like a child hearing their favorite story.

Min Min backed up slightly from the table, and Ribbon apologized.

"I'm sorry if we're annoying you or anything, it's just cool to see a new fighter! We've been sponsoring for the ARMS league for a while now, with Master Mummy and Ninjara..." She lowered her voice into a whisper, "They aren't very...social. Master Mummy warms up to people pretty quickly, but Ninjara is...really private."

Min Min didn't want to assume Ninjara was a bad person before she had the chance to have a single conversation with him, but he didn't seem as friendly as the other fighters did. Min Min would have to talk to him later.

"It's okay, really. Uh...Let's see...Well, my name's Min Min. I'm 18, and...I like to cook...? I mean, my family owns a restaurant, and I work there every day, but I'm not a gourmet chef or anything."

Ribbon Girl and Spring Man seemed ecstatic at this information.

"Your family owns a restaurant! That's super cool! What do you guys serve, pizza?"

Ribbon playfully slapped his shoulder. "Not everyone serves pizza!"

"I know, but it would be great if they did!"

Mechanica and Ribbon rolled their eyes before turning to Min Min for an answer.

"Uh...Actually, we serve ramen. Ramen noodles."

The group nodded in understanding. Then, Mechanica's eyes wandered to Min Min's ARMS and she noticed they were made of ramen noodles. She saw that her hair was ramen too.  

"When did you get your ARMS?" 

Min Min turned to Mechanica, out of surprise. Even with her reactions, compared to Ribbon Girl and Spring Man, she had been pretty quiet this whole time. 

"I got them a little after my 17th birthday." 

Spring Man looked surprise. "Didn't you say you were 18? You were able to fight with them that quickly?" 

"I'm a martial artist. I already knew how to fight, I just had to get used to fighting with my ARMS and legs instead of...well, my _arms_ and legs." 

They nodded in understanding again. Spring Man was about to ask another question before Ribbon Girl cut him off. 

"Before we talk to her more, maybe we should give her the chance to actually get something to eat." 

Spring Man nodded and apologized, hoping he didn't waste too much of Min Min's lunch time. She left the table to get her food. As she looked for something to eat, she noticed some vending machines near the back of the room. She had actually eaten some ramen before she arrived, but she'd been walking around for a while. A few snacks wouldn't hurt. She got a bag of potato chips from one vending machine, then walked to the one that held the drinks. Every drink was in a can, although they weren't sodas. It had fruit punches, strawberry-kiwis, and plenty others to choose from. Min Min always kept a dollar or two on her, no matter where she went. She put in a dollar into the slot of the machine, and pushed the button for a fruit punch.

Nothing happened. 

She pushed a second time. Then a third. Then a fourth. Finally, two cans of fruit punch fell into the pick up slot at the bottom of the machine. She was surprised, but delighted. Two drinks for the price of one. Maybe she had nothing to worry about at all today, things were going well so far. As she picked up the two drinks, she felt...something strange. Like something, or _someone_ was there, watching her. Of course, she knew Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, and Mechanica were there, but she could hear them talking from the table, from a distance. Min Min cautiously turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin. 

It was Ninjara. 

He seemed rather taken aback himself. He honestly hadn't meant to frighten the new girl, and he felt terrible now that he did. She took a moment to calm down and blushed slightly, it was pretty awkward to get scared like this, especially if them scaring you is your first interaction with them. 

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you--"

"It's okay! I-I mean, it's alright. I'm fine." 

They both looked around for a moment, with nothing to say. Suddenly, Min Min took one of Ninjara's hands, and put one of the cans of fruit punch in it. He was shocked, and looked up to her with wide eyes.

"I really don't need this--"

"It's okay. I only put in money for one, I don't need both. You can keep it." 

She offered him a smile, and much to her surprise, he gave a small one back. It was weak, and he still looked rather uncomfortable, but it was a start. That was enough for now. Maybe Ninjara wasn't as bad as everyone thought he was. He thanked her, and she walked back towards her table. The conversation was short and awkward, but it was enough for her to take an interest in him. He seemed nice. She wanted to talk to him more. Not that she didn't like the others, it was just that she was clearly given more than enough time to speak to Ribbon, Spring, and Mechanica. Who, speaking of which, had been watching the entire confrontation. 

When Min Min returned to the table and sat down, all eyes were on her. 

Mechanica, surprisingly, as the firs to speak up. 

"You...You actually got him to speak? _And smile? **How???"**_

"I just spoke to him, and he spoke back...Does he not talk to you guys at all?" 

They shook their heads in response. Min Min opened her chips and her can of fruit punch. "That's weird...He was the first one to speak. I think he's pretty nice." 

"But he never says anything to anyone." Mechanica pouted in disagreement.

"Not speaking doesn't mean he's bad, it just means he's shy. He just needs a way to open up to you guys more." 

Ribbon smiled, sitting back in her seat smugly. 

"Maybe he likes you! Maybe that's why he opened up to you so easily!" 

Min Min looked at her like she was insane. "Likes me? I haven't even known him for an entire hour yet. He only apologized to me because he accidentally scared me. He was just being polite, I don't think it's anything more than that." 

She took a sip of her fruit punch, rolling her eyes at Ribbon Girl, who clearly wasn't buying what Min Min had said. Spring Man laughed at the two girls, and Mechanica opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of her phone's alarm going off. It startled nearly everyone at the table except Mechanica, who just took her phone out her pocket and unlocked it. 

"Hey, I gotta go, my dad needs me. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" She waved to the group, and they all waved back, smiling. Min Min put down her drink, and looked around the room for a moment, as if searching for something. 

"Hey...do you guys wanna do some fighting after this?" 

Ribbon Girl and Spring Man looked up to her in surprise, but nodded and smiled. 

"Sounds like fun! Although...if we're gunna fight we need a fourth person for a team battle. I don't like doing free for all's, and two people against one person wouldn't be fair..." 

Min Min and Ribbon Girl nodded in agreement, and glanced around the filled food court for someone to join them. Everyone seemed busy either eating or talking. Some people were sweaty and looked exhausted as if they had just finished fighting. Min Min looked towards the back of the room, noticing Ninjara again, who looked like he had just finished his lunch. He put a bookmark into the novel he was reading, and most of his trash had already been thrown out, except for the fruit punch can Min Min had given him. He had opened it, though, and it looked like it would be empty soon. 

"Do you guys wanna ask Ninjara to join us? We'd have four people if he did, and it doesn't look like anyone else is available." 

Ribbon Girl and Spring Man smiled to each other, thinking of Ribbon's comment from earlier. Why would Min Min be so eager to hang out with Ninjara if she didn't like him too? Min Min rolled her eyes again, and ate the rest of her chips, sharing some with the two fighters she had been sitting with. After throwing out her trash, the three walked to Ninjara's table and sat down. Min Min sat next to him, while Spring Man and Ribbon Girl sat across from them. Ninjara looked confused and uncomfortable, as though he was a microsecond away from disappearing like he did in battle. It wasn't helpful that a group of people he rarely spoke to just randomly sat down at his table, and were all staring at him like he was an exhibit in a museum. 

Min Min cleared her throat, and spoke softly, in an attempt to not scare him off. 

"Would you like to do some matches with us? Right now, if you aren't busy...?" 

He seemed lost in thought at first, and Min Min honestly believed for a moment that he'd want nothing to do with any of them. After a moment of silence, he nodded. Spring Man and Ribbon girl were surprised beyond words, but Min Min was delighted. She smiled at him, and he got up to throw away his trash. The other fighters stood up too, getting ready to leave the lunchroom. 

"You actually got him to join us! Maybe he really does like you!" Ribbon squealed, smiling brightly, and Min Min sighed. She wasn't going to be able to convince Ribbon otherwise. It seemed like Spring Man was starting to believe her too. Great. Min Min rolled her eyes again, and had the feeling she'd end up doing that a lot when she was around Ribbon Girl from now on. Once Ninjara returned, the group made their way out of the food court and back down the long corridors of the ARMS facility. Ribbon Girl, Spring Man, and Ninjara guided Min Min through the building. The training room was on the bottom floor, and the bottom floor of the building was rather spacious. There were locker rooms, a gym, and then the training room itself, which took up majority of the space down there. The floor of it was covered in red padding, and the walls were covered in blue. It was huge, almost the size of the food court they had just been in. If 3v3's or 4v4's were a thing in the ARMS league, this room would definitely have the space for them. They stepped into the room, Spring Man and Ribbon Girl walking to the wall that was facing the doorway. Ninjara stood by the door, and Min Min assumed she was to stand there too. Just like in the televised events, there were strings tied around them. Min Min and Ninjara had an orange string connecting the two at their waists. It gave them roughly 2 feet between each other. Spring Man and Ribbon Girl had the green string tied around them, leaving the same amount of distance between them. It may seem weird for them to fight after they had just met Min Min, but it _was_ the ARMS league. Fighting would be something they'd all do together pretty often. Why not start now? All four contenders got into their fighting stances, preparing for the battle to begin. 

_Ready?_

_ARMS!_

* * *

 

Not too far from the ARMS facility, just a few miles away, was another ARMS building. Deep within it, on the bottom floor, was a room with the strangest specimen inside. 7 tall tubes, filled with a gooey substance with a green color. Inside, were what looked to be people. If people were gooey substances too. Strange, squishy, beings with an almost humanoid form were in each tube. Each lied dormant, quiet, and idle. One of the walls beside them held a large window, and a room where the scientists could observe these odd humanoid beings. Papers filled with notes, sketches, scribbled out ideas, and hypothesis's were scattered across the table and floor. For now, both rooms were quiet. The scientists who typically monitored the specimen were off on lunch break. The 7 tubes sat still. 

Each of the beings were made similar to the ARMS fighters you'd see on television. Long, stretchy ARMS, that could potentially be used in battle. Or, at least to replicate some of the movements of ARMS fighters so it'd be easy for scientists to study them up close. How were they going to study them if all of them couldn't function, though? Or, at least if the only one that could function was leaving the room?

Wait...

What?

Sure enough, one of the tubes were shattered, and a tall, gooey being stepped out, looking around. It's long ARMS were made of strands of DNA, a little helix even stood out from the top of it's head. Each being had been given goggles to help them see when they woke up, and it seemed like the goggles belonging to this one were working just fine. It looked around the room, taking in the environment.  It was one of the earliest of the specimen that had been created. 2 years of studying and working had gone into it. The being had run tests before, and had been working with the scientists for a while now, but a squishy being could only function for so long. Just minutes after it was made, the scientists realized that it had a certain amount of energy, just like people do. That's what it had been doing in the testing tube for so long. Resting. But now, it was energized, and ready to do...something. Anything, really. Seeing as how the door to the room was left open by one of the scientist who were probably in a rush to get out, the squishy being walked out of it. And, once again, the room was filled with dormant science experiments, only there were 6 instead of 7. And the glass tub that held the 7th one was now just shattered glass on the floor. 

* * *

 

The training room was now silent, filled with 4 bodies who laid there exhausted, and struggling to catch their breaths. The fight was over, and Min Min and Ninjara had won. Just barely, though, the other two contenders surely did put up a fight. It was interesting to fight them. Min Min had seen some of their matches on television before, but _watching_ a fight and actually _being_ someone _in_ the fight are two different experiences. Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Ninjara, and Min Min were sprawled on the floor of the room, lying on the padding for comfort. So, Ninjara and Min Min had won, but they did lose earlier. Their original match which was supposed to just be for fun, turned way more competitive than intended. That one match turned into two, then three, and before they all realized it, they had done 8. Ninjara and Min Min won 4. Spring Man and Ribbon Girl won the other 4. They wanted to break the tie, but all of them could collectively agree that nobody had the energy to even stand up. 

Who knew how much time had gone by too? ARMS matches aren't typically long, but they had done some talking and resting in between them. An hour had passed while they were doing a training session that shouldn't have lasted any longer than 10 minutes. If anything, it was supposed to be more of an introduction to training for Min Min than actual practicing for televised matches and events. It felt like real training, though. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and she could feel her heartbeat through her entire body. Her lungs were desperate for air, and her legs were too sore to even let her get to her feet. The others felt the same way, looking just as drained as she did, if not more. 

After a few minutes of resting, Spring Man and Ribbon Girl's phones went off, their alarms being the only sounds in the room other than the inhales of the fighters. Ribbon Girl had to do a rehearsal for an upcoming concert, and Spring Man had to workout in the gym for a while. Just like Min Min, they had a schedule that needed to be followed. The ARMS fighters were busy people, but they still made time for jokes and silly lunch room conversations. Min Min really liked that. What she didn't like, however, was the awkward silence that came when the two most social people left, and the most introverted person in the league was the only other person in the room with her. There was nothing but quiet for a moment. Finally, surprisingly, Ninjara spoke up. 

"...You fought amazingly for your first ARMS fight." 

Min Min was wide eyed for a moment, but quickly snapped out of her phase. 

"Thank you. So were you." 

Ninjara nodded as a thanks for the compliment, and quickly thought of another question to keep the conversation going. 

"Where did you learn to fight like that? Your style is very professional and well developed. You fight differently than the others do." 

"I've been taking martial arts for years, since I was 5. It's really important to me, so I practice every single day."

He nodded in understanding, and then it was silent again. Min Min soon spoke up, hoping she wouldn't make things too awkward. 

"How come you don't speak to the others very much? They told me you're not very sociable and you don't hang out with them much." 

"...I've just never been one for conversation." 

"But if you're going to be working with for years, assuming you intend to have the ARMS league as your main occupation when you graduate from college, you should get to know them and be comfortable around them." 

"How did you know I'm in college?" 

"You're a world famous ARMS fighter. I've heard it on television quite a few times before." 

He blushed lightly, internally slapping himself for forgetting something so obvious. He wanted to use the Grand Prix as his senior project. Of course everyone who kept up with the ARMS league knew that. 

"I'm just not comfortable with them. I prefer to keep to myself, even in team fights." 

Min Min pouted, trying to think of a way to keep this social exchange from going too far south. 

"...I can see why you wouldn't like speaking to them too much. They're kind of loud and...eccentric...but they're good people and they mean well. They did most of the talking in our conversations, but they really do wanna be friends with you." 

"...I"m not that interested in making so many friends." 

"Can you at least be my friend? If you won't because I like talking to you, will you at least be my friend for the sake of our fighting style? Our team battle went well, but it could use some work, right?" 

She held out her hand to him, hoping he wouldn't turn her down. For a moment, it seemed like he would, as his expression didn't look too happy or impressed with her offer, but he finally reached out his hand and shook hers. It was new for him to be so open with someone, even if they barely spoke and he still didn't fully trust her yet. Min Min grinned at him, and he almost smiled back. Almost, not quite, but maybe with some work, he eventually would. They released each other's hands and sat in silence for another moment or so before Min Min's phone began buzzing. She quickly stood up, apologizing for having to leave so suddenly. 

"I have to leave for work. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" 

"...Okay." He nodded, looking her in the eyes for half a second. 

Min Min rushed out of the room, and Ninjara soon had to leave for a class he had scheduled that evening. 

* * *

 


	2. Take A Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used Google Translate for the bit of Japanese used in this chapter. Apologies for any errors with it.

Just like any other day after training with the ARMS league, Min Min was working at Mintendo. The restaurant was already pretty popular and with the poster girl of Mintendo joining a world-famous fighting league, the amount of customers every day sky rocketed. It was great because it meant more money for Min Min and her mother to support themselves, and a good reputation. It was bad because it meant more stress and less time to relax. Everyone knows the ARMS league was the most famous fighting league in the world and had been around for centuries. Nobody could quite understand the pressure that came with being in it, though. It was nothing like she could've imagined. Every day it was go to work at the ARMS league for several hours, go to work at Mintendo for several hours, and then finally do basic things to take care of yourself like eating or showering, for Min Min. Not to mention, typical chores to keep the house and restaurant clean. It was exhausting, to say the very least. For once, Min Min actually looked forward to when her head could hit the pillow late at night. She never realized how much the ARMS league would effect her until she was in the middle of boiling some noodles for a customer and began dozing off. Even just a few _days_ after becoming one of the biggest names in ARMS, she was already starting to understand the toll it had on people.

"Li Hua!"

Her mother ran in the kitchen, taking the noodles out of the boiling water, and after putting them in a bowl, rapidly tapping Min Min's shoulders so she'd wake up. Her eyes fluttered open and her head quickly rose up. She looked dazed and confused. Her mother couldn't quite decide if it was adorable or concerning.

"What happened?"

"You fell asleep while making someone's meal. A little tired, aren't we?"

Min Min reached up to rub her eyes, then stopped, seeing as though she'd have to wash her hands again before she tried to cook again. Her eyes still felt heavy and when they closed, it was hard to get them back open. Every part of her brain was screaming at her to go lay down.

""M sorry, Mama...I just..." She paused, yawning, "I guess...I just haven't..."

"Haven't been getting enough sleep."

She nodded, yawning again, then turning to the bowl of over-boiled noodles and pouting. She'd have to re-make them. No customer deserved to eat this mess. It belonged nowhere but the trash. She shook her head, sighing, and making herself throw them out. She was so tired everything felt like it took so, so much effort. She thought about sitting down just for a minute, but she knew she'd end up dozing off for much longer than 60 seconds.

Her mother took the bowl from her, washing it, and starting to make a new batch of noodles. Before Min Min could even think about stopping her, her mother pushed her onto a chair. 

"Maybe you should just focus on your work with the ARMS league. I know you'll be doing a lot of travelling and training soon. It's clearly too much for you to juggle that and this." 

"Mama, I can handle this--"

"No, you can't. You need to relax. Working two jobs and going to bed every night at 1 am to wake up at 6 am every morning is not a good plan. At all. And, we don't know how long you'll be in the ARMS league or working here. There's no way I'm letting you keep a schedule like that. Working yourself like this and never actually resting is a terrible idea. You're straining yourself. I bet if I let you sleep in tomorrow, you'd sleep until noon. Maybe even until 1 or 2 in the afternoon." 

Min Min stood up. "Please don't do that. I can't miss work, it's too important."

"Your health is important, too, Li Hua. This is no way to live. You work too much everyday so you either never have time to do what you want or you end up not doing what you want until late at night so you don't get much sleep. You're only 18. You still need time to watch shows on television, listen to music, play video games, and just enjoy life. If you were working earlier, and you're working right now, and you're gunna do work around the house later, when are you doing all the fun, calming stuff?" 

"Being in the ARMS league _is_ fun, Mama. I met great people and I love fighting."

"Fighting is fun, but it's still work. Now, go upstairs and relax. I'm not letting you work for the rest of the week." 

She tried to protest, but in the end, Min Min was sent upstairs to her room. She sighed, knowing if she tried to go back down, her mother would immediately send her back up. 

'Think, Li Hua, there has to be something...' 

But there was nothing. 

As she got older she lost her interest in most television shows. She watches sitcoms every now and then, when she's extremely bored, and has a bit of a guilty pleasure of watching those cooking competition/reality shows, but none of the ones she liked were on. She wasn't in the mood to listen to music or watch YouTube videos. Due to the bathroom being just above the restaurant, she couldn't take a relaxing shower or bath because the customers would be able to hear the water running and she didn't want to annoy them. After all, meals are supposed to be relaxing. Speaking of which, she wasn't very hungry either. It was after work at the ARMS league, though, so maybe some of her friends would be available to talk to. She picked up her phone and did something she almost immediately regretted. She made a group chat of everyone she was friends with. After she created it, the chat filled with notifications and her phone violently vibrated as messages from her friends rolled in. This was her biggest mistake yet. 

* * *

  Ninjara had a lot to be annoyed with right now. For starters, he was exhausted. This was nothing new for a college student or an ARMS fighter, but it was true. He just didn't have the energy he needed to do anything. To add on to that, he was still in class, and had homework to do when he returned to his apartment. He had exams coming up soon, too. This was the last thing he wanted to think about so late at night when he should be relaxing in bed or at least watching television or meditating. It was almost 11 at night. He couldn't even remember why he signed himself up for a class that ran until it was absolutely pitch black outside. The only thing that made it worse was when his phone suddenly began going off. In the middle of class. During a silent reading. Multiple students in the lecture hall around him turned. Some surprised, some annoyed, some giggling at him. He quickly picked it up and silenced it, before actually looking through his messages to see why it was causing such a ruckus. 

'Yooooooooooooooooo Min Min!!!!!'

"Group Chat! >:D'

"Welcome! I made a group convo so we could all keep in touch' 

Multiple texts rolled in, only a few of them from a number he recognized. Min Min's. Judging from some of the texts, he could only assume the other numbers were the other ARMS fighters. Some of them read things like:

'Is RG in here?'

'Ofc ribbon's here, mechanica, y would I invite all the fighters but her???' 

'Woah, u invited Ribbon, too?? PARTY!' Followed by multiple pizza emojis. 

It was clear Min Min had created the chat, and that the numbers she spoke to were Mechanica and Spring Man. He quickly added Spring Man and Mechanica's numbers into his contacts, just so he'd be able to recognize whenever they were speaking. He didn't get a chance to add Ribbon Girl's number because, as he glanced up for a moment, his professor was glaring at him from across the room. He gave a quick apology, put his phone away in his bag, and returned to work. He'd just have to add the other contact later. 

* * *

  Mechanica sat in her room, giggling at the messages popping up on her phone, one after another. She _was_ working on a little toy robot, but talking to her friends was _so_ much more interesting. She had an entire folder of memes to spam them with, and she knew all of their reactions would be priceless. After all, her robot could wait. Between school and the ARMS league, there were plenty of times for her to work. She decided now was the time for fun. The robot was just being done for fun anyways, so it's not like she needed to rush to complete it. She could just finish it up whenever she felt like it. 

  'So, who else is here?' She typed. 

A little chat bubble with three blinking circles appeared, showing Min Min was typing a response. After a few seconds, Min Min typed, 

'Everyone in our little group. Spring, Ribbon, Ninjara, You, and Me. I would've added Mummy, but I don't think he owns a phone...' 

'Wait, Ninjara gave u his number? ' 

'Yeah, he never asked for you guys' numbers??' 

'lol no' 

Then, Ribbon Girl popped in. 'I knew it! He's in love with you!' She put a few heart-eyed emojis. Min Min rolled her eyes and replied with, 'No, he doesn't. Love takes time and love takes work. We've only known each other for a few days. He just wants to be my friend, nothing wrong with that. A guy and a girl can be friends without bein in love. What abt you and Spring?' 

Ribbon Girl put a little pouting emoji. 'Were just friends!!' 

'That's my point. I don't assume ur dating him just 'cos he's a boy u get along with.'

'But Ninjara doesn't try 2 get along with anyone else! He just wants ur attention 'cos he lllloooovveeeessss you!' 

'I will delete this chat.'

'Pls don't, I'm sorry, Min.' 

Mechanica laughed. Her and Ribbon Girl had picked up a habit of teaming up to tease Min Min every now and then. It was nice to see the habit carrying over to their text messages too. She couldn't wait for Ninjara's reaction. If he ever chose to type, that is. 

'Is Ninjara afk or is he just not typing?' Mechanica asked. 

Min Min replied. 

'I think he's afk, p sure he has night classes.'

'How do u kno that?'

'He told me himself. Idk what days he has his night classes, though. I can only assume he's in one rn. Unless he's already gone to bed.' 

'Isn't it kinda early?'

'10:54 at night is a decent time to sleep for most people w/ school or work. I know youre Miss Nocturnal, but most ppl don't stay up until 4 in the morning on a regular basis. I should sleep soon, tho, working at ARMS and Mintendo has been really draining me out.'

'lol, i kno, you were dozing off in the cafeteria earlier today'

'Hush. I'm gunna get ready for bed. I'll brb.' 

Then, it was silent. Ribbon Girl wasn't typing anymore and Mechanica didn't know Min Min's nightly routine, so she could only assume the 18-year-old would be gone for a while. She set her phone down for a moment, looking over to the half-completed robot and the tools she was using to make it lying on the desk next to it. Maybe she could just use these next few minutes to fix this little guy. Another little toy for her large ensemble of creations that were left to collect dust once completed. 

* * *

 

Spring Man was, surprisingly, out of the house. He didn't normally pride himself on staying out so late, but his workout at the gym lasted longer than normal, and he just _had_ to stop by his favorite pizza parlor to get a meal. While he was starting to get sleepy, he wasn't exhausted and he certainly didn't mind walking home in pitch black darkness if it meant he could eat a warm, fresh pizza when he got home. He ended up walking multiple blocks to his apartment since the buses didn't run this late. When he got home, he was surprised to feel his phone going off in his back pocket. He walked in, shut the front door, set the pizza down on his kitchen table, and took out his cell phone. 

It was Min Min's group chat! 

He had gotten home just in time to talk to his friends, but after a few minutes, Ribbon Girl had gone to bed. Min Min had left to get ready for bed, and Mechanica was answering every couple of minutes as if she were in the middle of some important project. Spring just started eating the pepperoni pizza. Nice! It was still warm. After a minute or two, he picked up his phone again and typed. 

'You guys said Ninjara's here, right?' 

After a moment, Mechanica replied. 'Yea, Min invited him. He hasnt said anything tho, idk what he's doing' 

'Do you think he'll ever talk to us?'

'i hope so. he seems to get along with Min p well.'

'Don't say that, she'll get mad at u' 

'She left to get ready for bed, she won't see these. If we talk abt them and then spam pictures, she won't see our messages.' 

'Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?'

'Shouldn't you, Spring?'

'. . .No'

 'Pls.' 

'Well, you can spam the chat with memes. Im gunna eat my pizza and get some rest' 

He put his phone down, finishing his first slice of pizza. He ate one after another, until the box was empty and all that could be seen were little circles of grease on the cardboard from where the slices of pizza had once been. After showering and getting changed into pajamas, he laid on his couch and watched television. Of course, of all things for him to watch, Spring Man was watching ARMS fights. While he, Ribbon Girl, Mechanica, Ninjara, Min Min, and Master Mummy were the faces of the ARMS league, there were certainly hundreds if not thousands of other people participating in it. He enjoyed watching them fight, especially since he didn't always get a chance to fight with them himself. He liked Biff's commentary as well. It was clear he was very passionate about ARMS fighting, much like Spring Man and the other fighters. Spring wasn't quite sure why he watched fighting of all things to relax before going to bed, but it seemed to work for him. About an hour or so into his mini ARMS marathon, he began dozing off. Before he knew it, it was morning. 

* * *

 

  Sunlight burst into her bedroom through the pastel pink curtains. Her alarm clock went off relentlessly, and the sound of it pounded through her head. She knew she needed to wake up at this time, but every morning she had to fight the urge to throw the clock out the window, or smash it. It was the routine where she'd hit the snooze button and it would go off again in a few minutes. She'd hit the button again, and it would go off again. This continued for nearly half an hour. Every morning. Eventually, she'd just get up and start her morning routine. 

Ribbon Girl hated waking up so early, as did most people, but she certainly didn't want to miss a day in the ARMS league. She did her usual routine of showering, brushing her teeth, getting dressed, doing her makeup, and checking her phone for any notifications from the large amount of social media websites she had an account on. There didn't seem to be anything new or unusual, other than the sudden rush of text messages that came from the group chat Min Min had made. It was no surprise to see Ribbon's best friend Spring Man was up, out of bed, and already on his way to work. She took pride in being his bestie and knowing tons of stuff about him, but she could never wrap her head around how he was so cheerful in the morning. It was only 7:30 AM. Who could possibly have this much energy this early? She opened the group chat and read through some of the texts Mechanica and Min Min had exchanged while Ribbon was asleep. It seemed like Ninjara never saw the messages. Or, at least he never replied to any of them. Ribbon must've lost track of time from reading the texts as one of her mother's knocked on her bedroom door. 

"Adele? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Mom! I'll be down in a minute, promise!"

"Okay, Sweetie!" 

She listened to her mom's footsteps as she walked back downstairs. Normally Ribbon would already be eating breakfast with her parents, but the group chat had really caught her attention. Mechanica went on to tease Min Min about Ninjara for nearly 2 hours straight. It was nice to have silly moments like this, between being an ARMS fighter and a world-famous singer, Ribbon's schedule was often filled. There were many times where she didn't fall asleep until after midnight only to wake up early for ARMS fighting the next day. She just loved having fun moments like these with her friends. After reading a bit more of the conversations exchanged between Min Min and Mechanica, Ribbon Girl went downstairs and ate breakfast. Her typical pancakes with bacon, and a glass of apple juice. Her mother left for work while her other mother gave her a ride to the ARMS facility where Spring Man had already arrived according to his Snapchat story, which Ribbon had checked on the car ride there. There were selfies, pictures of the building with writing next to it that read things like, "Good Morning!" or, "Another Great Day at the ARMS facility!!!" This boy was too cheerful for words. She kissed her mom goodbye and walked in. 

She went to the locker rooms where Min Min and Mechanica had already changed into their fighting outfits.

"Good Morning!" Ribbon smiled to them as they waved back. "What's up?" She sat beside the two girls on a bench in the locker rooms, putting her bag down on the floor. 

"Mechanica had me up until 3 in the morning, texting me. It was ridiculous. This child never sleeps, I swear she's nocturnal." Min Min shook her head, yawning. "Making a group chat was a mistake. You guys are either dead silent or practically screaming into it." 

Mechanica pouted. "It's not _my_ fault. I had to finish the toy robot I was working on."

"You said you were doing that for fun."

"I was."

"So, you didn't _have_ to finish it."

"Yeah, I did." 

Min Min rolled her eyes again and Ribbon Girl laughed at the two. They almost treated each other like sisters. They'd argue or nitpick every little thing, but then they'd look out for each other. It was really sweet. Mechanica seemed like a little sister, in the sense that she looked up to Min Min but also gave her a hard time and made her life difficult over every little thing. For example, the toy robot. Min Min was like an older sister, in the that she looked after Mechanica and while sometimes she pretended not to care, she was constantly concerned about the little engineer. 

"Alright, whatever." Min Min got up from her seat. "We should catch up with the guys. We've got a few televised fights coming up soon, yeah? We'll need as much practice as we can get."

Min Min and Mechanica walked out. Ribbon Girl turned off her phone, put it away, changed into her fighting outfit and soon met them in the training room. Everyone was there. Spring Man, Min Min, Mechanica, Master Mummy, and Ninjara. Ribbon had wanted to ask Ninjara why he didn't take part in the group chat at all, but he had never been one for conversation. She just didn't think he'd be the same way over the phone. They took turns fighting, as there would never be 5 people fighting at once. After a couple hours of practicing, they started leaving for lunch. Spring Man, Ribbon Girl, Master Mummy, and Mechanica headed towards the cafeteria. As Min Min walked to the door of the training room, she felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned around, it was Ninjara. After a moment of silence, he spoke up. 

"Hey...Why did you invite me to that group chat?" 

"I wanted to get to know you and the other fighters better. You should talk to them more, they really want to get to know you."

"I already told you, I don't like talking to people."

"I know you don't, but they're your friends. At the very least, they're your co-workers. You should really talk to them more, they're all great people. I can respect you being shy and an introvert and all, but you don't have to ignore them completely. They really don't mean to hurt you."

"I know they don't, but..."

"But...?"

". . ."

He was quiet for a moment and seemed flustered, as if at a lost for words. "I-I'm sorry, English isn't my first language...I have trouble...expressing myself with it sometimes."

"Then speak Japanese. I know a little bit, I should be able to understand you."

He looked surprised for a moment, but quickly continued his sentence from before.

"私はちょうどそれらを傷つけたくありません。 私は社会人ではありません。 私は人間関係に恵まれていないし、人には良くない。 私が最初から彼らを避け、その後彼らが私の中に信仰を入れたら傷つけるのが最善です。"  

She put her hand on his shoulder and looked in directly in the eyes. 

"The only way you'd hurt them, is if you never care for them in the first place. They like you. They want to get to know you. Ignoring them just makes them feel like you want nothing to do with them, and that you're a mean person. I know that you aren't. They don't. Prove them wrong. Take a break from being this anti-social stranger." 

She walked out of the training room, leaving Ninjara there on his own. He left after a moment and headed into the locker rooms, getting his phone out of his bag. He opened up the group chat and read some of the messages they had left. Maybe it wouldn't hurt him just to be a _little_ more involved in their lives. His thumb pressed the chat box and he began tapping the keyboard, punching numbers into his phone. After a moment, he pressed 'Send.' 

_"Hello."_

* * *

 

It wasn't until after work that day, when Min Min got off of her shift at Mintendo, that she saw the surprise waiting for the fighters on their phones. Everyone, with the exception of Master Mummy and Ninjara, went to the pizza parlor Spring Man often ate at for a group dinner. She never figured she'd be this close with the ARMS fighters, but it was real. It was happening. It was odd to think something so life changing was happening at 9:14 in the evening at a restaurant that smelled of cheese and tomato sauce. The group sat at a booth, Ribbon Girl and Min Min took the window seats while Spring Man and Mechanica sat towards the end of the booth. They were waiting for the pizza they had just ordered, sipping the sodas from their cups. As always, the spoke endlessly. Spring Man and Ribbon Girl did majority of the talking, but Min Min and Mechanica didn't mind listening. The two always had something interesting to say. That was undeniable. 

"I mean..." Ribbon Girl was talking about outfits and appearances, and how each fighter's fashion taste varied so much from each other. "I just like dressing up. I wear makeup and dresses just because...I want to. It's weird, 'cos a lot of people tie makeup to being insecure, but I just like how it looks on me. I'm fine without makeup, but I also like being with it. Same thing with dresses and skirts. They're just my style!" 

The others nodded in understanding and agreement. 

"People ask me all the time why I dress up and why I never dress casually, but I dress like this so much it _is_ my casual style. It's just what I like! Like, you, Mechanica, and overalls and jeans. There's nothing wrong with wearing those, actually, I think they look pretty nice on you, but they're just _your_ style. Or you, Spring, with sweatpants. There's nothing wrong with them! If you're comfortable in them, you should wear them whenever you feel like it! Or, even...you! Min Min! You wear jeans, too, and...actually, you wear a _lot_ of bomber jackets. Which, is a good thing! If you like them, you should wear them!" 

She shrugged. 

"I guess they're my style. I don't really pride myself on my fashion sense. I just wear whatever. Sometimes, I _try_ to make my outfit look good, but it's usually just what I like and what's comfortable for me to do whatever in. Actually, I saw this bomber jacket just the other day I thought looked really cool. I can show you, if you want." 

The others were practically bouncing in their seats, smiling. 

She giggled, taking her phone out of her pants pocket and unlocking it. Before she could even pull up the picture of the jacket, she noticed the notification on the group chat. 

"When did you guys text in the group chat today?" She put her phone down on the table for a moment. 

The other three exchanged looks to each other, then to Min Min, all looking confused. 

"I didn't." Mechanica shook her head. 

"I haven't touched my phone since this morning." Spring Man shrugged, sitting back in his seat. 

"I haven't used mine since this morning, either." Ribbon looked down at Min Min's phone, thinking. 

"Wait...If it wasn't Spring, or Mechanica, or you...It must've been your boyfriend!" 

"My _what?_ "

"Ninjara! Duh, Min Min!"

"He's _not_ my boyfr-" 

"He actually typed in the chat?! He actually spoke?!" Mechanica grabbed Min Min's phone, reading the message. Ribbon and Spring leaned over the table to see, as Min Min sat back in her seat, rolling her eyes for the 500th time since she'd met them. 

"....He just wrote, 'Hello.'" Mechanica handed the phone to Min Min, who practically snatched it from her grip. 

"Still! That's better than nothing!" Ribbon exclaimed, clapping her hands together. 

Spring Man took a sip of his soda before adding on. "Yeah! He's actually talking to us! Good job, Min, you got him to open up more!" 

"What makes you think _I_ caused this?" 

"Well-"

"If you say anything about him being in love with me, I'm leaving." 

"Hmph. I was gunna say you probably encouraged him to speak to us more by speaking to him and showing him we aren't gunna bite his head off." Ribbon put her hands up defensively. 

Soon, their pizza arrived. They weren't normally too big on using phones during meals, but Ninjara actually answered them when they spoke to him. Even if his responses were just small texts that were never very long and never had emojis or abbreviations, they were still responses. They still made progress. As the group spoke to him in the group chat, Min Min DM'ed him. 

"You're doing great, Nin." 

A minute passed. 

"Thanks, Min." 

 


End file.
